The Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) with the support of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) launched a digital platform, Returning Migrants Management of Information Systems (ReMiMIS), to collect, analyze, and store data of returning migrants to Bangladesh. 

The comprehensive ReMIMIS system will contribute to better migration data management and development of targeted reintegration support programs. In addition, stakeholders will have access to information on the skills profiles of returning migrants and potentially contribute to skills transfers to communities/ sectors in demand. The data will support policymakers to understand the needs and vulnerabilities of returning migrant workers and help facilitate the creation of targeted and evidence-based reintegration and safety-net programmes. The Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), custodian of the ReMIMIS, will work closely with Union Development Centers (UDC), District Employment and Manpower Offices (DEMOs) to input migrants’ data into the system.  

On 15 February, Imran Ahmad M.P, Minister of the Ministry of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment (MoEWOE) launched the digital platform at an event held at BMET. Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary of MoEWOE, Md. Shamsul Alam, Director General of BMET, and H.E. Rensje Teerink, Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, attended the event.

While launching ReMiMIS, Minister Imran Ahmad said, “The need for a database to capture the information from returning migrants became very essential after the outbreak of COVID-19. The database will help us target support to those in need and with greater knowledge on their skills and qualifications, we will be able to use the skills of migrants to avoid them becoming a burden on the State. We invested in skills training of migrants prior to their migration and on return we should put those skills to good use. I believe, the ReMiMIS platform will support targeted reintegration support and improved migration governance.”

In addition, Dr. Ahmed Munirus Saleheen, Secretary of MoEWOE added, “ReMIMIS is another example of the commitment of the Ministry towards responsible migration from Bangladesh and digitalization of migration governance. I will encourage stakeholders to make use of this system so that we can have access to up-to-date data and use this tool to better support our migration management.”

Md. Shamsul Alam, Director General of BMET, remarked, “This pilot initiative will enable stakeholders to identify vulnerable migrants, including those who have returned due to the COVID-19 crisis. it will also help support their access to migration services and other support.”

“ReMIMIS is a good example of the Government’s pledge to ensure regular, orderly, and safe migration from Bangladesh. We applaud the Government’s ongoing efforts to develop a migration management system that generates new evidence, contributes to improve protection of migrant workers, and enables communities to benefit from the dividends of migration”, said Giorgi Gigauri, Chief of Mission, IOM Bangladesh during the launch.

In her remarks, Ambassador Rensje Teerink, said, “ReMiMis will allow the Government, in particular its final beneficiary, the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET), to have a clear overview of the status of returnees by age, sex, education, country of destination and skills. This will facilitate the work of the EU, implementing partners and government agencies to reach their target population. But most important it will also help in the long run the government to develop solid evidence-based policies to ensure that returnees contribute to the economic development of Bangladesh.”

ReMiMIS was developed under the European Union funded project titled “Bangladesh: Sustainable Reintegration and Improved Migration Governance (Prottasha)” implemented by IOM under the leadership of the Government of Bangladesh.

For further inquiries, please contact Md Sariful Islam at IOM Bangladesh, Email: mdsislam@iom.int, Phone: +8801915631608

Note to the Editor:

ReMiMIS is a web-based application that features data dashboards on the information of the status of returnees by age, sex, education, country of destination, skills, and so on. BMET is the admin user and controls user access. In consultation with BMET, IOM procured the hardware and supervised the programming of the system.

In collaboration with the BMET, officials from 42 District Employment and Manpower Offices (DEMO) and 22 Technical Training Center (TTC) received Training of Trainer (ToT) on ReMiMIS in September 2020, and altogether, a total of 125 participants were trained and engaged in a two week-piloting of the MIS. Government officials at DEMOs, TTCs, and UDCs will collect data of returning migrants. The database will be managed by BMET in coordination with the Wage Earners Welfare Board.